Orthalicus Reses - Conservation

Conservation

Orthalicus reses reses is listed as threatened on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species, since 2 August 1978. It was originally listed as Orthalicus reses. However, Othalicus reses comprises two recognized taxa, and only Orthalicus reses reses is threatened. In the time of listing, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission favored listing, since intensive development has reduced the range to Stock Island. Leslie Hubricht and Alan Solem supported listing. Solem believed that collecting or expansion of tourist facilities could have drastic effects. The primary threat to Orthalicus reses reses at the time of listing was habitat loss due to development. Additional threats include pesticides, hurricanes, vegetation trimming along utility corridors, over-utilization of the habitat areas, and non-native predators. Trends in those threats are continuing at the same level, except for predation, the threat level for which is unknown. The population trend is unknown in 2009.

The recovery criteria largely pertain to habitat, in particular a minimum number of sites (four) and habitat stability for those sites in the Lower Keys. However, only one Lower Keys site is currently occupied by a persistent population, whereas more populations and larger numbers of Orthalicus reses reses occur at various sites in the Upper Keys. In the Lower Keys, the No Name Key population is the only one that persists in natural surroundings and generally appears to be viable. Accordingly, the criteria do not reflect the best available and most up-to-date information on the biology of the species because they treat the Lower Keys as the only area to conduct reintroductions and otherwise achieve recovery for Orthalicus reses reses. Moreover, significant threats in addition to habitat loss have emerged, and these are not adequately addressed in the recovery criteria.